


In A Lift

by fandomgeek14



Series: Navigating Stardom [4]
Category: Hollywood U: Rising Star
Genre: Awkward Crush, Claustrophobia, F/M, Jealousy, Past Relationship(s), Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 18:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17944673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgeek14/pseuds/fandomgeek14
Summary: Hunt and MC get stuck in a lift and well things don't go to well.





	In A Lift

**Author's Note:**

> takes place a day or two after MC and Holly stole Hunt's best director award from his office and sometime soon after the second date with Hunt.

**_4:00 pm_ **

She’d been sat in the library for five hours. Five hours. Working on a essay due the next week for one of her classes on top of that she’d had a three hour HW101 lecture that day. She had just packed up and headed towards the lift when shuddered as the theme song from series five of Doctor Who started blaring over the quiet library.

She immediately answered her phone grimacing at the potential warning from the librarian.

“’ello?”

_“Maddie! how are you?”_

“hey, I’m fine, how are you? why are you ringing? Weren’t you supposed to be studying to get into Rutherford?”

_“Payton won one of those magazine competitions to head over to Hollywood again and invited us with her. we were wondering if you wanted to come out for dinner?”_

“you’re kidding! I’d love that! what time?”

_“according to Payton we’re going now and meeting at that fancy burger place by the library down the road from your uni”_

Maddie jumped into the closing lift, not caring about the small space since it would only take a few seconds to get down and like hell she was taking the twelve flights of stairs with several books in her bag.

“well I just packed up my stuff anyway and have just jumped into the lift, so I’ll be able to meet there in like two minutes”

_“see you there”_

Maddie hung up before noticing she was not alone in the lift, her eyes shifted to look at the person next to her.

“oh hello professor” she smiled

Professor Hunt gave her a curt nod before asking what floor she was heading.

“ground floor”

Hunt translated that word to meaning the first floor. Honestly British dialogue was weird, I mean pavement? It’s a sidewalk! How did the British come up with pavement? Even the word elevator was different to her it was called a lift. however, he was not going to argue about it as he certainly would not win that argument.

“so what are you doing here? In a library?”

“I’d rather we avoid small talk”

Maddie rolled her eyes at her professor

“okay”

Hunt pressed the button on the lift and it started to descend as the two stood in silence before the lift suddenly jerked to a stop sending Maddie flying into the professor as the books and laptop in her bag were not helping her balance. Hunt caught her and helped her steady before realising what had happened.

“brilliant. Just brilliant”

Hunt pulled out his phone to ring the librarian and the maintenance team dialing the number on his phone Maddie did not listen to half the conversation as she was focused on praying that it wasn’t what she thought it was.

“well get us out soon before I speak to the university and have you fired for making me cancel the important meeting” Hunt finally said angrily down the phone before hanging up. Maddie decided to ask the question

 “don’t tell me the lift is stuck?”

“yes, the elevator is obviously stuck and won’t be fixed for at least another hour”

 Hunt was half expecting the brown haired student to make a snarky remark about it being the storage room all over again. But there was nothing. So he glanced up to see what had gotten her so quiet

“this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening” Maddie spoke quietly, Hunt was surprised at that.

“you’re not Arachnophobic _and_ Claustrophobic, are you?” he raised an eyebrow at the student who did not answer the question

“oh god, the walls are closing in”

 she sounded terrified as she backed into a corner in fright and Hunt watched in disbelief and shock as she started hyperventilating, he had never seen her hyperventilate in a panic before.

“I- I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!”

 Hunt felt guilty for standing there watching and immediately remembered the wellbeing of his students were technically his responsibility so he needed to calm her down. he approached  her slowly and gently

“Maddie, look at me”

The girl hesitantly looked at him her eyes wide, tears spilling down her face, her breathing short and quick, Hunt found himself despite his better judgement taking her hand and placing it to his chest

“feel that? how my breathing is normal? copy it”

Hunt breathed in and out and Maddie tried to copy it and eventually her breathing went back to normal, calming down too. Suddenly both of them became very aware how close they were to each other. And Maddie realised that one, she had not pulled her hand away from Hunt’s chest, two, Hunt hadn’t registered that she hadn’t removed her hand and three, his heart had quickened a lot. Hunt snapped back to reality and pulled away stepping back, returning to his usual demeanour. Very quickly.

“Hunt?” Maddie asked

“what?” he glared at her

“your heart was beating rather fast, are you sure you’re not claustrophobic?”

Hunt mentally cursed before giving her an answer

“that, I assure you was not because of the small space” he said “and before you suggest anything else it was not because of that fantasy you’ve invented where I’m in love with you”

“I’ve never stated you were in love with me”

“you’ve implied it. now I’d rather remain in silence”

“fine, suite yourself”

**_6:05 pm_ **

Over two hours later and Maddie was sat on the floor when her phone rang, the Doctor Who ringtone filling the lift. She picked up.

_“we’re here. where are you?”_

Maddie gulped, not quite sure whether they’d believe the story but then decided lyinhg would be worse

“I’m well- trapped in a lift”

_“you’re trapped in an elevator?”_

“yeah”

_“that’s not good- how long have you been in there?”_

“about two hours”

_“oh what if it’s like ‘Closing Time’ where the Cybermen climb through? Or the ‘Power Of Three’ where it’s an teleport to the Shakri ship? Or ‘Night Terrors’? Amy and Rory get trapped in a dolls house via the elevator”_

“I think it’s an ordinary lift. I think my hopes of meeting the Doctor are rather dashed this time round” Maddie let out a small smile at her friends use of her favourite show to explain his concern “I don’t think I’m going to make it Nish”

_“we can meet up later tonight. I’m sure the gang won’t mind waiting around”_

Maddie mentally thanked a higher power that she had such brilliant and amazing friends

“tell them I’m really sorry, and that I’ll come around to the hotel as soon as I get out of this nightmare and tell them to send me the address”

_“I will, see you in a bit and good luck with the elevator”_

Maddie hung up and put her phone away in her pocket.

“friend of yours?”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk?”

Hunt rolled his eyes at her attitude.

**_8:00 pm_ **

Four hours had passed since they got stuck and Hunt was now pacing the lift, fed up with waiting for the lift to be fixed and it was annoying Maddie.

“are you going to sit down? or are you too afraid of dirtying your pristine Armani suit?”

Hunt glared at her before stopping and sitting on the floor next to her with a grumble of something she didn’t catch.

There was a few seconds of silence before he sighed in frustration.

“fine”

“what?”

“we can talk. It’ll pass the time quicker- we could even play that stupid question game you’re so fond of”

“take turn to ask questions?”

Hunt nodded a single nod

“Okay I’ll start” Maddie asked “what are _you_ doing in a library?”

“I needed an updated version of a book for a lecture” Hunt answered “and you?”

“working on an essay and studying up on the theory of the male gaze”

Maddie thought of a question long and hard before remembering something Hunt had said earlier

 “how did you know I’m an arachnophobe?”

“the spider in the lecture room the other week. I noticed how uncomfortable you were and how you immediately moved seats on the opposite side of the room from said creature so I deduced you had to be scared of it”  Hunt said simply “I didn’t take you as the claustrophobic type. How did that come about?”

Maddie paused, her mind figuring out how to answer that question before answering honestly

“my mum. punishment as a child included locking me in and under a small cupboard under the stairs- it was dark with no light and she told me it was haunted with the ghost of her uncle Jim who apparently hated children”

Hunt froze, that was the first time Maddie had ever mentioned anything to anyone about her mother’s treatment towards her. that was borderline child abuse. That was using psychological horror to get a child to behave. That was not right. however, he decided not to press her further on the subject as Maddie seemed eager to get away from the subject from the look in her beautiful blue eyes.

“your heart was beating faster earlier why?”

“a moment of weakness” he said absentmindedly

“that should be your catchphrase”

“who was that on the phone earlier?

“a friend”

“a boyfriend?”

“how did you get that idea?”

“you seemed rather friendly and close”

Too close for Hunt’s liking (although he’d never admit that)

“was it Chris Winters?”

“everyone assumes Chris and I are a couple when we’re just friends! it’s not true at all!”

“you just seem like a better fit than what you’re currently chasing. A relationship with Chris would actually work”  

Maddie ignored that statement even though it was a jab at her current pursuit of a relationship with Hunt and it stung a little

“that was my old high school boyfriend Nishan. My old high school friends won a trip up to Hollywood and were going to meet up with me. Nishan is my friend. We broke up because he would probably work better with his old crush and only friend at his old school and because of long distance when I moved to Hollywood over the summer and he didn’t want me ruining my dream for him . He’s moved on and so have I”

That was a little close to home for Hunt. He had a college fling who he let go to focus on his career. Although she had a boyfriend back in Spain and so, had been inevitable running away would not work. He wondered if he had moved on from her. then he remembered that he had and his focus was subconsciously on Maddie as his latest crush. Someone he couldn’t have.

“so what about you and Professor Singh?, how did that end?”

“how did you know about-”

“it’s obvious to anyone who cares enough to look” Maddie told Hunt

That half the truth. It was not obvious, she had actually eavesdropped in on a conversation between Hunt and Singh when she had stolen Hunt’s best director Audrey (well, borrowed is a better word) a few days ago and learned that they had found out that way that the two professors had been a couple, but she did really care about Hunt so at least half was true.    

“Priya and I just didn’t work. She was perfect. Or I thought she was, until she cheated- however, I understand why she did it and I’m over it”

“vague”

“that’s all you’re getting”

“fair enough”

Maddie suddenly found herself getting more tired, and her head resting on Hunt’s shoulder before she could stop herself. He stiffened at the new arrangement before relaxing involuntarily.

“you look tired”

“working eight hours non-stop without food does that to you”

“you haven’t eaten in-” Hunt mentally counted the hours since the lift had gotten stuck onto the eight Maddie had admitted to “-twelve hours?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve drunk enough”

“your attitude towards food concerns me”

“you’re concerned about me?” Maddie smiled sleepily

There’s a hesitant pause.

“yes”   

“that’s good enough for me” Maddie’s voice was faint as her eyes closed “that you care about me even if it’s only a little”   

 Hunt smiled at that, knowing that he cared a lot more for her than she thought he did.

**_9:00 pm_ **

Maddie woke an hour later to Hunt looking at her with a look she’d never seen and could not figure out what it was, before it changed to a serious one. Then she realised the lift was moving. She sighed with excitement. Hunt got up.

“time to go”

she smiled getting up and picking up her bag. The lift pinged open.

“freedom!” Maddie exclaimed stepping out of the lift ignoring the sheepish looking maintenance staff before actually noticing they were there

“thank you for getting us out of there”

“just doing our job” one of them replied

Maddie looked at her watch, stating, 9:02. And her phone had come through with a notification of where her friends hotel was. It wasn’t too far! She could still see them! she turned to Hunt

 “nice having some time with you professor”

“enjoy your weekend. Do not forget to study though”

“I won’t- you enjoy yours too”

“I will, once I lay one onto the head maintenance”

“see you Monday” she waved and started to walk off

“oh and Maddie! come back here, please!”

“yes?” she asked walking confused up to hunt

“I’d rather you wouldn’t tell anyone about being stuck in there with me who knows what rumours could circulate” he whispered

“I won’t”

“and I thought you could use this fir your essay, since you had asked about it earlier. I found it in the library”

He handed her a book. One on the theory of the male gaze in media.

“thank you, professor”

And with that she walked out of the building a slight spring in her step as Hunt berated the maintenance team behind her.     


End file.
